{"id":9646,"date":"2011-01-31T00:00:49","date_gmt":"2011-01-30T23:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=9646"},"modified":"2011-01-23T14:26:27","modified_gmt":"2011-01-23T13:26:27","slug":"silence-is-complicity-the-methodical-shooting-of-boys-at-work-in-gaza-by-snipers-of-the-israeli-occupation-force-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2011\/01\/silence-is-complicity-the-methodical-shooting-of-boys-at-work-in-gaza-by-snipers-of-the-israeli-occupation-force-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Silence Is Complicity: The Methodical Shooting of Boys at Work in Gaza by Snipers of the Israeli Occupation Force"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

The deliberate injury of the limbs of 23 boys by high velocity weapons has been logged and described by Defence for Children International \u2013 Palestine Branch (DCI-P) since March 2010. (1)\u00a0 Some of the facts have been published in national newspapers.\u00a0 These barbarous acts contravene international and national law but there are no judicial responses.\u00a0 The caring professions see the physical and mental pain of those who suffer and they should be in the vanguard in calling for this great cruelty to cease forthwith.\u00a0 Political leaders have failed to act.<\/p>\n

The Geneva Conventions Act 1957, which is of central importance in holding war criminals to account in the jurisdiction of the UK, is being emasculated.<\/p>\n

Context<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the 1.5 million population of the Gaza strip is impoverished.\u00a0 Half are refugees from Mandate Palestine or\u00a0 their stock.\u00a0 About 50% of the male population is without work.\u00a0 It has been isolated and occupied for decades.\u00a0 A commercial port was being built in 2000 but that was bombed by Israel.\u00a0 The isolation and the hobbling of its commerce was increased by a siege which was started in March 2006 in response to the election of a majority of Hamas members to the legislature.\u00a0 It was further tightened in June 2007 after the Hamas government pre-empted a coup by the Fatah faction that was led in Gaza by Mohammad Dahlan.<\/p>\n

The misery was further deepened with ‘Operation Cast Lead’ that was unleashed 27\/12\/08.\u00a0 This was promised 29\/02\/08 (2).\u00a0 “The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, [the Palestinians] will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah (holocaust) because we will use all our might to defend ourselves.\u201d – Matan Vilnai\u00a0 Deputy Defence Minister to Israeli Army Radio.\u00a0 There was a massive bombardment which killed 220 adults and children in the first 15 minutes.\u00a0 This was followed by a full scale invasion.\u00a0 1400 humans were killed and approximately 5000 injured physically.\u00a0 The minds of very many more were injured too.\u00a0 4000 homes were totally destroyed, almost all the factories and 40 mosques.\u00a0 The two gleaming science blocks of the Islamic University\u00a0 of Gaza were flattened by very powerful thermobaric bombs, the blasts being heard throughout the 360 square kilometres of the Gaza ‘Strip’.\u00a0 The siege has been even more draconian since.\u00a0 Cement, ballast and steel rods are only let in at about 5% of the rate needed for rebuilding, the pretext being that ‘bunkers’ could be constructed.\u00a0 At the present rate it will take 78 years to rebuild Gaza. (3)\u00a0 Chocolate, writing paper and all manner of things have been blocked.\u00a0 The 1000 tunnels at Rafah have provided a way in for goods but in the face of bombing and roof falls.<\/p>\n

The lack of any work and the extreme poverty of the large extended families has drawn the boys and men to scavenge for broken concrete (‘gravel’) in the evacuated Eli Sinai ‘settlement’ and in the industrial zone by the Erez border control post at the northern limit of the ‘Strip’.\u00a0 The factories of the industrial zone have been progressively demolished by Israeli shelling etc.\u00a0 They are seen to the west as one enters Gaza through Erez.\u00a0 A donkey and cart, shovel, pick, sieve, muscles and courage are the tools.\u00a0 The rubble is used to make cement blocks and poured concrete with the cement that is imported\u00a0 largely through the tunnels.\u00a0 Many dozens of men and boys do this work for precious shekels in the shadow of manned watch towers and under ‘drones’ above.<\/p>\n

The 23 boys who have been shot between 26\/03\/10 (Said H) and 23\/12\/10 (Hatem S) are listed in the table below with skeletal facts.\u00a0 These points are made:-<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In 18 there were single shots and not automatic fire<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The reported range in most cases confirms that the weapon was a sniper’s rifle in the hands of a sniper<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Almost always there were many dozens of other men and boys at work; these victims were picked off<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A leg was the target in most cases.\u00a0 Where the leg was not the target it is likely the sniper was ‘aiming up’ so the flank, elbow etc was hit instead.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No weapons were being borne by the gravel workers so they posed no threat to the Israeli Occupation Force personnel.\u00a0 Instead they were bending their backs to their menial work within their internment camp<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The histories refer often to the recovery of the injured boy by friends and relatives under fire. This was a feature during ‘Cast Lead’ or instead the paramedics were barred from getting to the victims so they died without care.<\/p>\n

The history of the injury and sequel for each boy are linked to in (1).\u00a0 It has been done meticulously and the translation into English is perfect.\u00a0 The pain, and often the terror, felt by the boy as the bullet struck home are vividly recorded.\u00a0 No bullets have been recovered yet so the calibre\/type is unknown.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How many boys will regain full, or nearly full function is difficult to judge without the radiographs being present.\u00a0 Cases 3,4, 5,7,13 and 15 are likely to have joint involvement and thus some lifelong disability.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In cases 1 and 3 there is nerve injury.\u00a0 If that proves to be an axonotmesis in either, it is possible that a first class repair will not be available in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The fractures are open by definition and no doubt comminuted.\u00a0 Delayed or non-union is possible.\u00a0 Deep infection is a real risk, antibiotic therapy not withstanding.\u00a0 The risk of deep infection relates to\u00a0 a.\u00a0 the possible inclusion of fabric\u00a0 b.\u00a0 the high energy injury causing irregular and wide devitalisation of the tissues\u00a0 c.\u00a0 the probability that these difficult bullet wounds were not laid open and a complete wound toilet performed.\u00a0 One or two of these boys might end with an amputation.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Almost all the boys have been frightened off or forbidden from gravel work.\u00a0 There are few, if any, other means of earning shekels.<\/p>\n

The shooting to wound and kill Palestinians is relentless.\u00a0 DCI-P notes that according to a UN study, between January 2009 and August 2010, at least 22 Palestinian civilians in Gaza have been killed and 146 injured in the arbitrary live fire zone adjacent to the border with Israel and imposed at sea. At least 27 of these civilians were children.\u00a0 It also notes that the targeting of civilians is absolutely prohibited under international law, regardless of circumstances.<\/p>\n

These quotations from the available stories convey a little of the poverty, the suffering and the courage:-<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ‘The three of us would wake up every day at around 5:30am and leave to collect gravel. We were not the only ones doing this type of work.\u00a0 Hundreds of youngsters aged between 13 and 22 used to work with us, despite the danger we faced because we were close to the Israeli border.’\u00a0 Awad W- 3<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The work was exhausting and dangerous. \u2018Israeli soldiers would sometimes shoot at us, and sometimes shoot in the air to intimidate us,\u2019 recalls Ibrahim .\u00a0 ‘Sometimes they would\u00a0shoot at the carts, horses and donkeys we used to move the gravel. But we had to do the work despite the dangers, because we didn\u2019t have any other job to do.\u2019\u00a0 Ibrahim K- 4<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Mohammad was taught by his neighbours to watch for birds flying away from the watch towers, as this was a sign to start running, as it meant soldiers were climbing into<\/p>\n

the towers and the shooting would soon begin.\u00a0 Mohammad M – 6<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ‘They killed our three horses and one donkey in four months, and we had to spend the money we earned on replacing them.’ \u2026.. \u2018They were down on their stomachs pointing their rifles towards us, but they didn\u2019t shoot. We got used to such things.\u2019\u00a0 Mohammad S \u2013 11<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/www.dci-pal.org\/english\/doc\/press\/UA_4_10_Children_of_the_Gravel_UPDATE_29_DEC_%202010(b).pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/www.haaretz.com\/news\/barak-hamas-will-pay-for-its-escalation-in-the-south-1.240417<\/a><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/www.amnesty.org.uk\/uploads\/documents\/doc_21083.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

I thank Gerard Horton and DCI-P for the availability and excellence of this information, and for supporting publication in a medical forum.\u00a0 I also thank Dr Khamis Elessi in Gaza for information.<\/p>\n

Conflict of interest:\u00a0 I founded the Dove and Dolphin Charity 110119<\/p>\n

<http:\/\/www.doveanddolphin.co.uk\/<\/a>>\u00a0with a voyage to Palestine 8 years ago and chair its trustees.\u00a0 It attends to the welfare of children in Gaza in the main.\u00a0 No pecuniary benefit is derived from this charity.<\/p>\n

Footnotes<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

This paper was submitted to the Lancet and the British Medical Journal 4 January 2011 under the title ‘Ethical’.\u00a0 The refusal from the latter is here:-<\/p>\n

****<\/p>\n

BMJ\/2011\/850099<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

The methodical shooting of boys at work in Gaza by snipers of the Israeli Occupation Force<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

by David Sydney Halpin<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Mr. Halpin<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you for sending us your paper. We read it with interest but I regret to say that we have decided not to publish it in the BMJ.<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

Clearly soldiers shooting at children is awful, but we didn’t think your article gave a clear reason why we should be publishing it now. The information comes from the Defence for Children International (Palestine section) website, there isn’t much context, there’s no description of the Israeli soldiers’ explanation for these events, and the article just sort of ends. <\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

We receive over 8000 submissions a year and accept less than 10%. We do therefore have to make hard decisions on just how interesting an article will be to our general clinical readers, how much it adds, and how much practical value it will be. <\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

I am sorry to disappoint you on this occasion.<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

An editor at the British Medical Journal<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

****<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/p>\n

PLEASE GO TO ORIGINAL TO CONSULT TABLE OF INJURIES<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

______________________<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong>David S Halpin FRCS\u00a0is\u00a0an author, human\u00a0rights activist and a former orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at the Torbay and Exeter Hospitals Devon UK.<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>He can be contacted at <\/em>david@infoaction.org.uk<\/a><\/em>. His web site: <\/em>http:\/\/dhalpin.infoaction.org.uk\/<\/a><\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 globalresearch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

Join the BDS-Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions<\/em><\/span> <\/strong>campaign to protest the Israeli barbaric siege of Gaza, illegal occupation of the Palestine nation, the apartheid wall, and its inhuman and degrading treatment of the Palestinian people: DON’T BUY<\/strong><\/span> products whose BARCODE<\/strong> STARTS WITH<\/strong> 729<\/strong><\/span>, which indicates that it is produced in Israel. DO YOUR PART! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

7 2 9: BOYCOTT!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The deliberate injury of the limbs of 23 boys by high velocity weapons has been logged and described by Defence for Children International \u2013 Palestine Branch (DCI-P) since March 2010. (1) Some of the facts have been published in national newspapers. These barbarous acts contravene international and national law but there are no judicial responses. The caring professions see the physical and mental pain of those who suffer and they should be in the vanguard in calling for this great cruelty to cease forthwith. Political leaders have failed to act. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-palestine-israel-gaza-genocide"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9646\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}